How to activate bluetooth on XP

[boing]

Hi, i'm using bluetooth for the first time to connect a mobile (sony k750) to my laptop (dell inspiron 6000) using windows xp home. i've activated the bluetooth on my phone but cannot find how to activate it on the laptop. the help files tell you to use "bluetooth devices" in the control panel but i have no such heading in mine. There is a bluetooth symbol on the laptop and the dell site states it is equipped with it. Can anyone give me any pointers please?

 

[bacillus]

have you actually turned on BT?

if it's turned on you will see the BT led next to the wireless led light up blue.

 

[boing]

That's part of my problem, i don't know how. I've been through the manual for the laptop but it only mentions wireless networks not bluetooth. But as i say the icon is there and the website lists it as a function.

 

[Zugzwang152]

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins6000/en/om/D5181bk5.pdf

NOTE: The card with Bluetooth wireless technology is an
optional feature, so the light turns on only if you
ordered the card with your computer. For more information,
see the documentation that came with your card.

I would doublecheck that you configured Bluetooth as part of your purchase. Just because there is a Bluetooth LED on your computer doesn't mean you ordered a card.

If you have indeed purchased one:
If there is no Bluetooth Control Panel icon, you haven't installed the card properly. Check Device Manager for any yellow (question mark or exclamation mark) entries.

 

[boing]

thanks, i thought it was standard so it probably isn't installed.

 

[RebateMonger]

Check the computer's "Device Manager" under "Network Adapters". You should see the Bluetooth adapter listed there. If not, there's either no Bluetooth hardware, or else the device drivers haven't been installed.

If there's a Bluetooth adapter listed, then you just need some sort of application or control panel installed to allow you to USE the adapter. This would normally be on a CD that comes with the Bluetooth adapater, or on a driver or application CD that comes with the computer.

Once you've installed the Bluetooth application or control panel, you need to set up the adapter so that it's "Discoverable" by other Bluetooth devices within range. Then you need to "Pair" it with the other device, so that data transfers can happen.